Island



(No Model.) I

J. R. BROWN.

AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTINGUISHBR.-

Patented May 9, 1882.

INVENTQR Fig. l

WITNESSES N, warms. mwuma n wf Washington, 0 C.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

I JOSEPH It. BROlVN, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

AUTOMATIC FIRE-EXTINGUISHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 257,548, dated May 9,1882,

Application filed June 13, 1881.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, JOSEPH R. BROWN, of the city and county ofProvidence, and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Automatic Fire-Extim guishers; and I hereby declare thatthefollowin g is a full, clear, and exact description of the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification.

This invention has reference to a device which,when secured to the endsof the branches of a system of pipes distributed over a building andconnected with a water-supply, will close the water-outlet, and will, bythe action of heat on a solder made of materials fusible at a lowtemperature, release the device, so that the water-outlet will be openedautomatically and the water will be thrown on the fire in a dividedstate, so as to extinguish the same.

The invention consists in a piece of pipe or nipple provided on one endwith a screwthread, closed on the other end and provided with portssecured within a sleeve by a solder fusible at a low temperature, thesleeve being provided with one or more distributers and constructed sothat the pressure of the water will move the sleeve and place theoutlets to the distributers opposite the ports, so as to discharge thewater, as will be more fully set forth hereinafter.

Figure 1 is a sectional view of myirnproved automatic fire-extinguisher,showing the sleeve secured by solder to the pipe or nipple and providedwith two outlets, to which rosesprinklers are secured. Fig. 2 is asectional view of an automatic fire-extinguisher after my presentinvention, shown released and in action, the sleeve being provided withtwo curved pipes, one of which has a contracted outlet and the other anexpanded outlet, placed one opposite the other, so that the two streamsof water are forced one against the other, and the water is therebydispersed over a large area in a divided state and thrown on the fire.

In the drawings, a is the pipe forming the water-inlet. It is providedat one end with a screw-thread, by which it can be secured to the usualpipe-fitting forming the end of the water-supply pipe. On the oppositeend it is provided with the ports 6 b, the end being closed so as tocompel the water to pass (No model.)

through the ports. Below the ports b b the pipe wis enlarged so as tonearly fit the interior of the sleeve 0, and the sleeve cis secured tothis enlargement at d by means ofa solder fusible at a low temperature.The upper end of the sleeve 0 is enlarged, so as to present a large areaof surface to the water, by the pressure of which the sleeve is moved assoon as the action of heat on the solder releases the same. Secured tothe sleeve 0 is the chamber 0, provided' with outlets ff, to which anyof the various forms of distributers may be secured.

g g in Fig. 1 represent the ordinary perforated rose-sprinklers, bywhich the water is forced through fine holes in every direction.(Rotating sprinklers of the well-known forms may be used in place of therose-sprinklers, and, if desired, perforated pipes may be used todistribute the water.) h h in Fig. 2 represent a peculiar device, whichhas proved well adapted to distribute water over a large area. Itconsists of two curved pipes, the centers of the outlets of which areopposite each other. One of the let and the other with a contractedoutlet. The waterissuin g from these outlets under pressure impinges onestream against the other, and both are deflected and dispersed over alarge area. As the openings are large, they are not liable to be stoppedup either by dust or sediment, and their action can be at all timesrelied upon.

The enlargement on the pipe at forms a shoulder or stop, by which themovement of the sleeve and the distributers is limited, as is shown inFig. 2.

The operation of my automatic fire-extinguisher is as follows: Thesleeve 0 is secured by fusible solder to the pipe a, the chamber 6 isnow screwed to the sleeve, as shown in Fig. 1, and the whole secured tothe outlets of the system of pipes, in which water is kept underpressure. When a fire breaks out the heat will quickly melt the solder,the pressure of the water will force the sleeve forward until theenlargement on the pipe a encounters the chamber 0, as shown inFig. 2,when the water will flow from the pipe athrongh the ports I) b, bedistributed by the distributers secured to the outlets of the chamber 6,and thrown in a spray on the tire, where it'is rapidly made into pipesis provided with a flaring enlarged outsteam, and with the succeedingwater quickly extinguish the fire.

The whole device is automaticin its action, cannot get out of order, andwill extinguish any fire if the water-supply is maintained.

The ports I) b are. preferably made longand narrow. They may form fineslits, so as to act as strainers, and their area should be made muchlarger than the area of the pipe a so that when retaining impuritiesthey will still allow a free passage for all the water required.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. In an automatic fire extinguisher, the

combination, with a distributer, of an inletpipe, closed at the end andprovided withnarrow ports through which the Water passes, the sleeve 0,and a seal made of a solder fusible at a low temperature, as and for thepurpose set forth.

2. The combination, with the pipe (1, pro vided with the enlargement atd, of the sleeve 0, secured to the enlargement by a solder fusible at alow temperature, and the chamber 0, provided with outlets, to which(listributers are secured, the whole constructed to form an automaticfire-extinguisher, as described.

JOSEPH R. BROWN.

Witnesses:

J. A. MILLER, Jr., WM. L. Ooor.

